Most home buyers will start looking for property with a Realtor before speaking with a Mortgage Lender to find out how much they can afford to spend. A few will speak to a mortgage lender first or drive by the specific neighborhood before choosing a Realtor. Nearly one out of three buyers will consult with a Realtor first. As you can see, it is evident that consumers follow different paths to finding and buying a home.
Online buyers do their homework first by researching, driving by specific neighborhoods, and visiting open houses, etc. This sophisticated buyer takes more ingenuity and gathers information independently before speaking to Realtors. Depending on their need for “hand holding” through the home-buying process, web-savvy consumers involve Realtors in varying degrees. Some Realtor websites target those buyers by providing a Mortgage payment calculator and access to mortgage pre-approvals.
